Tuesday, January 31, 2017

A couple of years ago, I attended the second weekend of March Madness at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. The trip was enjoyable, but the games lacked the energy that would accompany a Syracuse Orange home affair. Part of the reason behind this is the dome is only half filled for basketball, but mostly it is because there were two competing fan bases, so things never got overly loud. As well, with Syracuse not participating, there were no student fans that usually add so much to the atmosphere at a college hoops contest. So I really wanted to return see an ACC game here as I had heard great things about that experience.

With Syracuse about 4 hours away from NYC, it really isn’t worth the drive for just one game, so I decided to combine it with a trip to Rochester to visit the very impressive Eastman Museum, with my wife joining for the weekend. In the end, we decided to fly hoping to save a bit of time and hassle, which might sound strange, but driving out of New York on a Friday evening is not a lot of fun. In the end, we didn't save any time, but more on that later.

With the game at noon on Saturday, we left Rochester early. I dropped my wife off at a local mall, and made my way over to campus. University lots were charging $15, but I found free parking on Ashworth Place, a block north of Genesee Street. One side of Ashworth allows parking from 6 pm on odd days to 6 pm on even days, the other vice versa, so you will always be able to park here. If you don’t remember what day it is, just follow everybody else’s lead. A few steps away from where I left my vehicle, a lot was charging $20, so I felt pretty good about my parsimony, even with the chilly 15-minute walk to the dome.

I was granted a media credential in order to write the Stadium Journey review. This gave me a seat behind one of the baskets, not a bad view at all, as you can see above. The actual seat was just in front of the band, behind four rows of courtside seats in the photo below.

Rather than duplicate the review here, I will link to it once it is published in a few days. But I can say that the experience of seeing a Syracuse Orange game at the Carrier Dome is much better than a neutral tournament matchups I saw back in 2015. The fans are amazing and there were nearly 25,000 of them on hand for this one. I saw few visiting supporters (who wants to leave Florida for Syracuse in January?) and the crowd really made a difference. It surprised me that even with the dome half full, it was one of the loudest places I have been.

I will provide a few pictures to give you a sense of the atmosphere. History is big here, which you will notice immediately with the Ernie Davis statue out front, one of four that dots Plaza 44.

Davis' Heisman can be found in a display case in the concourse, while the 2003 basketball championship trophy gets a special spot all by itself.

There are a few other cases around the concourse, including one dedicated to the Syracuse Eight, and another with odd memorabilia like helmets and photos (below). Make sure to walk around the entire lower concourse to see everything.

The photo below shows all three seating levels. The orange seats are actually padded portable chairs; the large sections that are entirely orange in the lower bowl are the club. If you don't have a padded chair, you will be sitting on a bench.

A view from the upper deck which is really not that far away at all.

So if you have a chance to visit the Carrier Dome when the Orange are playing, take it, especially against an ACC rival. The crowd alone is worth it, and if you are lucky, you will get to see a game that keeps them on their feet from start to finish, like I did.

The Game

The 6th-ranked Florida State Seminoles were in town coming off a road loss to Georgia Tech that dropped them to 18-3, while the Orange, coached by Jim Boeheim (above) were suffering after their Final Four appearance at 12-9 and in the lower half of the ACC standings. But the visitors struggled in the first half, making just 10 of 32 shots (including 1-8 from downtown), while the Orange shot 50% to take a commanding 44-26 lead at the half.

As is often the case in basketball though, the losing team began to make their shots while the leaders started laying bricks. Bit by bit the Seminoles battled back, and when Dwayne Bacon hit a three with 9:12 to go, they were within 2 at 60-58. But the crowd did not go silent and it paid off with a great hustle play a few seconds later. After a Seminole turnover, the ball ended up in the hands of Tyus Battle in the right corner. Battle launched a three that bounced high off the iron and Tyler Lydon, unguarded in the left corner, raced in and one-hand-slammed home the rebound that had everyone on their feet and garnered Lydon the #10 play on that night’s SportsCenter. A couple of minutes later, Lydon had the ball underneath his basket after a missed Seminole shot and saw Battle streaking down the right side. But his pass went long and looked to go out of bounds behind the end line, but Battle scampered after it and backhanded a no-look pass to White, who drained a 3 to make it 69-62 Orange. Again the fans stood as Florida State called timeout. Two great plays that showed how hustle helps in hoops.

The Seminoles did get within two a couple of times down the stretch, but Syracuse did not break. Down 74-70 with a minute left, Florida State decided to start fouling, and the Orange made their free throws in an anticlimactic finish as they won 82-72. As the clock wound down, the cheerleaders and other staff started moving out of the way behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw students preparing to storm the court (below), which they did as the final buzzer sounded.

I guess it has been a while since the Orange have beaten such a highly-ranked team, but the Seminoles are definitely overrated and not worth a court storm. But hey, everyone was having fun and nobody got hurt, so all was good in the end. The photo below is of the court covered by students.

This was a lot of fun and I hope to get back here for football or lacrosse.

Notes

Flying back out of Rochester, we were delayed about 90 minutes by Delta’s system outage. They actually deplaned us briefly before the computers decided to start working again. It was a minor inconvenience, but to listen to a couple of other passengers, it was like we had spent three weeks in prison. One young lady on the phone promised to “never fly Delta again” while another proclaimed it a “disaster”, apparently unaware of the true meaning of the word when associated with aviation. Certainly Delta needs to figure out a way to prevent system-wide outages (this was their second in the past six months) but given the problems facing other travelers over the weekend, our issues were insignificant. Perspective and empathy are traits seldom found in people these days, which is one of the reasons America seems to be embarking on a path towards tyranny.Next Up

I’m heading to Milwaukee for an AHL game and a couple of college hoops battles this weekend. Unfortunately, Green Bay did not make the Super Bowl, so things won’t be crazy in Wisconsin, but check back for regular recaps anyway.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

In 2011 I made an emergency trip to Sacramento to see what was billed as the final game in Kings history. At that time, it looked like the franchise would be on the move again, this time to Anaheim, and I needed to see a game at Sleep Train Arena before it became inactive. The Kings lost an overtime heartbreaker to the Lakers and afterward, the fans hung around the court hoping to convince the powers that be to keep their team in California’s capital. With help from Sacramento Mayor and former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson, the NBA Board of Governors put the kibosh on the move, and the Kings remained in Sacramento for the 2011-12 season. However, rumours of a move to Virginia Beach and then Seattle kept fans in limbo over the next couple of campaigns. But Johnson and the fans kept up the pressure and the NBA did not allow the Maloof family, who had owned the team since 1998, to follow through on any sale that would result in relocation. Eventually the Maloofs were forced to sell the team to Vivek Ranadivé, who promised a new downtown arena by the 2017 as part of his proposal. Just months after the change in ownership, the new arena project was formally announced and the saga of the Kings potential relocation was finally ended.

Fast forward to 2016 and the opening of Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento, a year earlier than promised. Naming rights were purchased by a local credit union, which is fitting as the final cost will exceed half a billion dollars, with half of that coming from city coffers. It is money well spent though, as the finished stadium is certainly a sparkling addition to the Club 122 venue list. There are a lot of features to note here, for example, a controversial, publicly-owned sculpture by Jeff Koons at the main entrance (above). The arena also boasts of being 100% solar-powered, with 85% coming from a solar farm 40 miles away while the rest is captured from solar panels on the roof.

The exterior panels feature a digitized Sacramento Live Oak leaf, which is somewhat visible below. From a distance, it appears to be a treescape, though I did not notice this from up close.

The stadium is located on two city blocks just east of I-5 and Old Sacramento, with the main entrance along 5th Street. I did not see much traffic as I walked from my hotel about ten blocks away, though perhaps fans were parking for free on the street as garages were charging $15 per vehicle.

There are five large hangar doors that open into a plaza, allowing for expedient entry through security and into the arena. Make sure to use to the main entrance where the sculpture is located rather than the entrance closer to L Street as that one seemed to be a lot slower. Inside the main entrance is a large plaza that feeds into the lower concourse, as well as a standing area that many fans use during the game (view below).

As you make your way around, you will probably be impressed by the variety of food on offer. It is not cheap, with $7 hot dogs an example, but there is something for everyone, including an Asian stand and another featuring Indian food. Beer is plentiful but again overpriced, with tall boys coming in at $13, while those who prefer California wine can buy whole bottles at Raley. Priced much like a restaurant, a bottle will run you $40 or more, and you are given a plastic decanter and shatterproof glasses to make things a bit safer for you and those around you.

There is a designated driver program, but only the first 50 fans receive a coupon for a free soda, so get there early if you desperately need some free carbonation.

The lower concourse (above) is not typically oval as in old-style arenas, rather there are more angles and openings. It does get tight in some places, but as all the concession stands are against the wall, you can see the court as you make your way around. Again, standing areas are scattered here and there and are actually great spots to watch the game (view from one standing area below).

The upper deck is reached by a relatively short escalator or staircase...

...and although there are two levels of suites between the upper and lower bowls, seats upstairs are still quite close to the action, especially from the first couple of rows which are separated from the rest of the bowl.

The upper bowl does not encircle the arena; there is an opening above the plaza directly inside the main entrance that contains the Sierra Nevada Draught House, a great place to watch other sports on TV and hang out with friends.

As regular readers know, I am rather tired of casual fans showing up to games to socialize (i.e. talk about themselves) rather than watch the action and the Kings have done a great job to provide an area for those fans, thus taking them out of the seating bowl. There is a standing area here too, so fans can ostensibly watch the game they paid to see (view below).

One interesting point for fans traveling solo is that there are single seats in the first row right next to this opening. It almost feels like watching from home as you have no obstructions and can get in and out as you please. Section 201, Row A, Seat 1 is available for most games if you are so inclined, the view from that seat is below.

With so many fans standing, there are a lot of open seats in the bowl, and although the empty seats are not a good optic on TV, it is great when you have one next to you. The game was sold out (capacity here is 17,068), but I’d estimate about 10% of fans were standing at the various areas around the stadium.

Tickets vary in price depending on opponent, with a first row upper deck seat going for $60 on this night. I purchased a ticket in Row 6 for $35 on the secondary market and enjoyed the view below for the first half:

In the second half, I moved downstairs and stood almost directly underneath where I had been sitting (below). In both cases, I had no trouble seeing the floor, as the arena has really good sightlines from just about everywhere.

There are a number of interesting features scattered about the venue. Most intriguing are the six neon signs representing companies that have ties to the city; Tower Records, which began in Sacramento and was a mainstay during my time in Japan, is my favourite.

Also notable are the various Kings jerseys from their time in Sacramento, which started in 1985. The Kings are the oldest franchise in the NBA (beginning in Rochester in 1923) and I’d like to see this recognized more clearly.

To be fair, there is a Rochester Royals championship banner from 1951, which is next to the infamous 2002 team that was shafted by the NBA in the playoffs.

Sleep Train Arena is also honoured for its 28 years as the Kings court. Next to that is a banner for Paul McCartney, whose two shows opened the building back in October.

There are also numerous art pieces inside the arena, such as this mobile above the escalator.

Finally, the scoreboard, which is shaped like a Japanese torii (temple gate), is the world's largest indoor video board. At 84 feet long, it is just 10 feet shorter than the court itself. It is a 4K Ultra HD board and one of the best I have seen, so much so that you sometimes forget you are at the game. The scoreboard is just one of many technical attractions here; the arena dubs itself the most technically advanced in the world. I didn't bother to check out the details as I'm happy to just watch the game, but one impressive claim is that there is a 200-gigabit connection to the internet.

The pregame show was rather understated compared to what some NBA teams put out there, with a large cowbell on the floor the main attraction. It is rung after the player introductions to get fans, many of whom have brought their own cowbells, into the mood.

Overall, I was really impressed with Golden 1 Center. It serves its purpose perfectly, not too loud or ostentatious, essentially just right for Sacramento. My only complaints are the overpriced food (I did not eat here because of it) and a lack of franchise history. Those are minor issues though, and I think any hoops fan would appreciate a trip to see the Kings hold court.

The Game

The Oklahoma City Thunder were in town for the 6th in a 7-game homestand for the Kings, who had won just once in those five. Russell Westbrook, emerging from Kevin Durant’s shadow, was the player to watch. He started slowly and the teams were tied at 23 late in the first before the Thunder went on a 17-5 run that took us into the second quarter. OKC maintained the double-digit advantage for the rest of the half, taking a 59-46 lead into the break.

Early in the third, Stephen Adams fell to the floor and hit his head (above), causing a concussion that forced him from the game. With Adams out, the Kings scored the last 8 points of the third quarter to make things interesting down only 88-79, but the Thunder went on an 11-2 run midway through the final frame, capped by a Westbrook trey that made it 107-92 with 5:33 to go. Fans started to leave, but in the NBA these days, no lead is safe, and the Kings amazingly got within 3 at 116-113 on a Rudy Gay three-pointer with 26.5 seconds left. The Kings immediately fouled and Alex Abrines sank both, but then Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins was fouled while attempting a three, and he made all of his free throws to make it 118-116. After Victor Oladipo made two charity shots for OKC, Cousins turned the ball over to Westbrook who finished things off with an uncontested slam to cap his 20th triple double on the year (36-11-10). A late shot by Darren Collison made the final 122-118 in a game that was not as close as the score would indicate. There were 57 total fouls called as well, many of the questionable variety, making the game far less entertaining that it should have been.

The triple-double is one of the most overrated stats in sports. Any starter should get 10 points, and with the way they give assists out, even 10 dimes isn’t that difficult these days for a point guard. Assists should be limited to passes that lead directly to a basket; if the recipient of the pass dribbles or does anything other than shoot immediately, no assist should be awarded. I do agree that 10 rebounds can be difficult for someone of Westbrook’s stature, but even with all those gaudy stats, he ended up -1 on the night, meaning that despite his 36 points and 10 assists, at least 57 points were scored against the Thunder while Westbrook was on the floor. Committing seven turnovers didn't help his cause.

Notes

This was my 700th lifetime venue and with this visit, my membership in Club 122 remains active.

Club 122 will see seven new stadiums in 2017: the Atlanta Braves will open Sun Country Park in April while the Falcons will say hello to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the fall. Two other NFL teams are moving (San Diego to Los Angeles and Oakland to Las Vegas) while the Red Wings and Pistons will both call Detroit's Little Caesars Arena home beginning next season. Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights will be an expansion NHL franchise, so Club 122 will become Club 123. It will be another busy year for those of us who enjoy sports travel, and I plan to attend a game in each of those venues, so check back as schedules are released.

Next Up

A brief trip to Syracuse is planned at the end of January to see the Orange take on Florida State. After that, I’ll spend Super Bowl weekend in Wisconsin, checking out the AHL and a couple of college hoops games before settling down to watch the big game, which might yet feature the Packers. Recaps will be posted here, so check back to see what happened.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Happy New Year to my loyal readers. Hope all three of you enjoy 2017! After a terrible start to the year watching the Rexless Bills get thumped by the Jets on New Year's Day, I spent the week searching for an event that might get my mind off the Bills 17-year playoff drought. The usual teams were not compelling, but then I discovered the PBR was at Madison Square Garden. The Professional Bull Riders have been kicking off their season at MSG since 2007, and it has obviously been successful as the tour begins its second decade in New York with a 3-day event.

The Monster Energy Buck off at the Garden is considered one of four majors on the BFTS (Built Ford Tough Series) Tour, which, as you can tell, relies heavily on corporate sponsorship. Tickets ranged from $26 to $200 and were easy to get at the box office. No need to spend more than the minimum here as the action takes place in a small area and a pair of binoculars is all you need to see everything. As you can see, the ring takes up about 3/4 of the ice surface, with a large island in the middle. Photographers and VIPs are able to get inside there, which must be an incredible experience.

The event began around 8:00 with a video featuring Steven Tyler. The 35 riders were introduced as flames ran across the floor, and then the national anthem was sung by a country group that I had never heard of before. After that, it was time for action. Bull riding is quite simple (to understand, not to do): the bulls and riders come out of the chutes at the far end, and the rider must stay on for 8 seconds while keeping one hand in the bull rope and one in the air; if he falls off or touches the bull or himself with that untethered arm, the ride is over. If the rider completes 8 seconds, he gets a score based on the bull's movements (spin, direction change, kick), while the bull receives a score regardless of the rider's success. Some riders wear hockey-type helmets, but most choose to go in with just a cowboy hat to protect them, as they believe that helmets can affect their balance. Injuries are not uncommon, though fortunately none happened on this night.

There are four matadors (rodeo clowns, you can see them in the shot below) who try to attract the bull's attention after the rider is off, eventually getting the bull into the return chute. If the bull goes past the island, there is a guy on horseback who lassoes it and brings it back to the chute. After every four riders, there is a break while they get the next set of bulls ready. During this time, the head matador, who has a wireless microphone, entertains the crowd or runs some contests. T-shirts are tossed, and one lucky attendee is given the "Fan of the Night" belt buckle. It's all very much like other sports, but this one has the most downtime of any of them. With 35 riders and a maximum 8 seconds per ride, there are only 280 possible seconds of action over the two-hour show, so much of the time is spent waiting for something to happen. It makes baseball look like F1.

Each rider gets one shot, unless the bull is considered to not have bucked hard enough, in which case the rider can request a re-ride. At the end, the top seven riders are given points, which are totaled up at the end of the season, with the leader winning the championship. On this night, two riders (Mason Lowe and Jess Lockwood) tied with 87.75 points, earning them 100 points and $5,750 apiece.

For me, this was probably the only time I'll see this event, unless I am in a more suitable environment, i.e. one where fans actually want to watch. Much of the crowd in the cheap seats were just there to say they were there. Hundreds upon hundreds of millennials showed up late, dressed as cowboys despite never having ridden a horse in their life. They didn't bother sitting in their assigned seats (thus ensuring plenty standing around looking blankly at tickets when others showed up), and spent the evening taking selfies, yapping (I couldn't hear the announcer for much of it) and trying to get drunk on crap beer. The actual event was secondary to ensuring that their social circle knew they were there. More and more I notice that fans like this (I call them the "Look at Me! generation") are dominating events and making things intolerable for those who actually want to watch. I certainly didn't pay to hear someone whine about how "My boss is like, the worst boss in like, literally, the whole world". The stereotype going around is "Special Snowflake" and from what I can tell, it isn't inaccurate.

So if you go to an event, here are three steps to make things better for everyone: 1) show up on time, 2) stay in your seat during the action (unless you are invisible), 3) shut up and watch - there are plenty of breaks in the action for you to tell your buddy all about how wonderful you are. If you want a social event, go to a bar or throw a party (if your parents allow it in their basement).

Notes

The only rider from Canada was Dakota Buttar, who calls Kindersley, Saskatchewan home. I was probably the only fan who has been there. Buttar completed his ride but his score was not enough to place him in the top 7.

Contrary to popular belief, the strap around the bull's flank is not tied to his testicles, but just behind them and encourages the bull to buck more from its hind legs.

Pabst Blue Ribbon used to sponsor PBR but I guess the connection was too confusing as they are no longer associated with one another from what I could tell.

Santa Claus did not bring me a new camera, so the next year will continue to see crap pictures as above, taken with my phone. Sorry.

Next Up

I'm heading back to California next weekend to complete Club 122 membership renewal with a visit to Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Check back for a recap after that.

KC (6-0 in the division) moves up to second as Oakland cannot overcome the injury to Derek Carr in Week 17, the only change on the final Sunday. Houston and Tennessee tied at 9-7 with the Texans taking the title based on divisional record. Five of the six teams were in the playoffs after Week 6, with Denver dropping out to be replaced by Miami.

Detroit beat Tampa Bay for the final spot based on common games (Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New Orleans). Both teams split with their divisional rivals and lost to the Cowboys, the Buccaneers beat only the Bears, while Detroit beat the Saints and the Rams to earn the privilege of facing Seattle. Minnesota and Washington dropped out from Week 6, so overall 75% of the playoff teams were in a similar position way back in October. This isn't surprising, the season is short and good teams are usually good from start to finish.

As for my playoff prediction, can't imagine New England losing in the AFC, they will face the winner of the Packers/Giants WC game in the Super Bowl.